Prescott eyes McCloskey, rematch of 54-second KO of Khan

RingTV.com conducted a recent Q&A with Breidis Prescott, whose claim to fame is a 54-second knockout of current IBF and WBA “super” junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan when they were lightweights slightly more than a year ago to the day on Sept. 6, 2008.

Since then, the 28-year-old Prescott (24-2, 19 knockouts) has adopted the nickname Khanqueror for obvious reasons as he chases a rematch with the man he once swiftly dispatched of in the first round.

Prescott’s pursuit continues against southpaw Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 KOs) in a clash that will transpire before McCloskey’s partisan fans at Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Saturday.

McCloskey is coming off a sixth-round, technical decision loss to Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) in April. The Khan-McCloskey verdict was determined on the judges’ cards after being stopped on cuts over McCloskey’s left eye that resulted from an accidental clash of heads and required seven stitches to close.

Entering his fourth straight junior welterweight bout with as many consecutive wins against McCloskey, Prescott blames extreme weight loss for his two straight losses by decision to Miguel Vazquez (29-3, 13 KOs) and Kevin Mitchell (32-1, 24 KOs), respectively, in July and Dec. 2009.

Prescott said he simply struggled to continue to make the 135-pound lightweight limit.

After having dropped Vazquez with a first-round jab, for example, Prescott lacked the energy to finish him off. With an eye badly swollen, Prescott lost a split-decision to Vazquez.

RingTV.com: Did weight issues contribute to your moving up into the junior welterweight division after your loss Mitchell?

Breidis Prescott: Yes, 100 percent. I’m not a fighter that likes to make excuses, so Mitchell and Vasquez beat me. But at 135 pounds, that was killing me. I’m 6-feet tall and have a big body frame, and taking off those last five pounds was hell.

So I had to make the move to 140 pounds, where I feel much stronger and where I’m also undefeated. But I definitely feel that at 140 pounds, I would beat both Mitchell and Vasquez. But every fighter falls.

It’s how you get back up that matters. Now, I’m in position where if I beat McCloskey, then I’m fighting for the world title, and I guarantee that I will be world champ.

RingTV.com: Do you believe that Khan has improved as a fighter, and, if so, how?

BP: After the way I knocked him out, if he doesn’t switch trainers, switch promoters and start fighting in the United States, he would have been crazy.

And that’s exactly what he did. [Laughs.] Khan should thank me for any of his improvements, and for his life change. But I still see the same flaws that allowed me to dismantle him under a minute.

I really feel that 10 out of 10 times I stop him. His jaw is made of glass, and glass is always breakable.

RingTV.com: How badly do you want a rematch with Khan?

BP: I want a title shot. That’s what I want. If it’s Khan, then great. But if it’s Madiana, then that’s fine too. Look, Khan needs me more than I need him. Remember, I knocked him out, and he will never forget that. Good night Amir.

RingTV.com: What do you consider to be your greatest strengths as a fighter?

BP: Power, determination and will. But like I showed in my last fight, I can also box, move, and slip shots. I feel that over the years, I’ve turned myself into a complete fighter.

RingTV.com; What do you think of McCloskey?

BP: McCloskey is a very awkward fighter with a very ugly style. He’s not a big puncher. I feel that he is a runner who tries to use his head. But at the next level, he tries to survive instead of win.

RingTV.com: What sort of performance do you need against McCloskey to secure a big fight?

BP: Win, baby, Win. [Laughs.] But really, I’m the type of fighter that loves to put on great fights. I’m a fan-friendly fighter. But we have a game plan, and i will follow it to perfection and become the mandatory for the WBA.

RingTV.com: What’s next if you beat McCloskey?

BP: Title shot. Period. For that reason, we flew 12 hours across to Ireland to become the mandatory. It’s what I’ve dreamed about for my whole life, and it will happen.